Ore-washer



(No Model.)

0. H. THOMAS.

ORE WASHER.

No. 554,551. Patented Feb. 11,1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. THOMAS, OF SONORA, ASSIGNOR OF TWVO-THIRDS TO ALVINZA HAYWVARD AND JAMES CROSS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ORE-WASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,551, dated February 1 1, 189 6. Application filed October 21, 1895. Serial No. 566 ,387. (No model.)

To all whom, it away concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sonora, in the county of Tuolumne and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Vashers; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull,

clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to ore washing and separating and more particularly to the saving of gold and sulphurets from the pulp supplied from stamp-mills.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple, cheap and effective surface for sluices, runways, tables, belts, and other working surfaces over which the pulp is compelled to travel, and which can be used instead of blankets, canvas and like surfaces now commonly employed, at comparatively smaller expense, and with more effective results.

My invention consists in a rough-cast surface for an ore-washer. In the following specification I have described it and in the accompanying drawings shown it asapplied to ordinary sluices or runways, whichafford a good illustration of its use.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of two parallel sluices supposed to form part of an ore-washing plant. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same.

The sluices A are representative of all kinds of washing and concentrating surfaces used in wet-ore separation. Any number of such sluices can be used, from a single one to as great a number as large stamp-batteries are capable of supplying. I have not shown any devices for. supplying pulp or water, as such devices are well known in the art, as are the sluices themselves.

Upon the operative face of the sluice I form a rough-cast surface B preferably composed of fine quartz sand of about the fineness to pass through a No. 0 or No. 1 screen, which has approximately four hundred holes to the square inch. The sand can be attached in any convenient way, but I prefer to use paint as the adhesive medium, and have found paraffine paint to be well adapted to this purpose.-

I first paint the surface of the ore-washer with a thin coat of waterproof paint and allow it to dry. I then spread upon it a heavy coat of the same paint, and While the latter is wet I blow upon or dust over the paint evenly a sufficient quantity of the sand to make a complete rough-cast surface. This surface is then painted over lightly, and when dry the rough cast has been firmly attached. The operation of a surface of this kind is in general like that of other surfaces used for the same purpose. It is rough enough to mechanically hold and retain any free gold that may be present, and is particularly effective in catching slime sulphurets.

The gold or sulphurets can be recovered from the surface in any suitable manner, such as by washing them ofi with water or by sweeping them off with brooms, and the cleaning can be done more thoroughly than is possible in the case of blankets.

As the production of a rough;cast surface is the main object of my invention it is evident that such surface can be formed on heavy waterproof paper or on canvas or other substance in the same way as before described. Such prepared paper or canvas can then be attached to permanent sluiceways or the canvas can be used in traveling-belt concentrators.

What I claim-is 1. In an ore-washer,a surface of sand spread upon a separate soft layer of adhesive waterproof material and held in place by the drying or hardening of such adhesive material.

2. In an ore-washing apparatus a working surface composed of fine sand and paint, substantially as described. 3. In an ore-washing apparatus a working surface covered first with paint, then with fine sand, and lastly with paint, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 9th day of October, 1895.

CHARLES H. THOMAS.

IVitnesses:

F. P. OTIS, W. H. DENNIS. 

